I’m a book girl, through and through. From old ones where the pages are so thin and brittle that you have to turn them with slow and deliberate delicacy, right through to crisp new ones which smell of bleachy chemicals and freshly printed ink, their razor sharp newly sliced pages carrying the promise of a paper cut if you dare not treat them right. Reading books and being able to immerse yourself into someone else’s world and escape your own is a pleasure second only to one thing – creating your own. Whether you’re journaling the most private of thoughts, or jotting down your day-to-day, or even just doodling, that book needs to be something special, and beautiful. Life is too short for ugly books.

This gorgeous nude leather journal from Flourish ticks all my boxes. The entire book is handmade – the pages are stitched into sections, which in turn are stitched to the spine. A riempie ties your book closed, which mean you’re not getting bent pages or handbag shmutz all up in your notes. Also, every time you open it it’s like unwrapping a gift. And you can even tie your fancy pen up in the bow. Dayum! They’re available in a range of sizes and colours, which means you can take accessorizing to the next level. Notebook matching your shoes, matching your bag? Totes.

It’s not always easy to buy gifts for people, especially men. With Father’s Day just around the corner, I’ve done some searching for you and found some great products on Hello Pretty that any man will love.

Most people wear a watch and I know I can’t go without one. It’s always nice to change it up a bit with a different watch every now and then. I like the black sandalwood watch from Phat Panda and I’m sure dad would love it too.

My father constantly needs a new wallet, this leather wallet from Ranzani Design is perfect. It is thin enough to fit into any pocket and forces you to only take what you need.

You can never go wrong with a good bottle of gin, this gift set from Leg Studios which includes honeycomb coasters, makes for a perfect gift.

If your dad likes gadgets, then this tech slab from JH.made will be perfect for him. All his gadgets can be kept together in one place on a stand.

I do sometimes wonder what people did without mirrors long ago. These days we have mirrors everywhere in our homes; from the bedroom to the bathroom and even in the hallway or lounge. They are very handy but also look very pretty in the home.

I love how designers have come up with beautiful designs and ideas for mirrors, they are functional but make great décor pieces too. If you have read my post about clocks on the Hello Pretty blog, you’ll know that I love pieces that have many functions.

When looking through Tomasz Wieczorek’s beautiful photographs of Tuscany, Italy, can you imagine that such a place is real? The rolling hills, old farmhouses and silver olive groves were something that Tomasz has wanted to photograph after he had heard that it is one of the most beautiful places out there.

Tomasz decided to sit through every sunrise and sunset over his time in Italy to get the perfect photographs and although it was tiring, it was worth it. The beauty of the Tuscan landscapes drew him in like a magnet. Tomasz adds that the weather was perfect which was a huge bonus for his photography. He recommends anyone to visit Tuscany as he has very fond memories of the place.

I must say his photographs turned out to be amazing. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Tuscany myself, and it really does look like it does in his photos. It is a place that makes you feel at peace and really makes you appreciate life; it is a must-see!

For some more information on Tomasz and his beautiful photographs, visit his Facebook page.

Stripes are very much in fashion this winter and I thought why not extend this to other products as well? Stripes are fun and what’s great is the many different colour combinations you can put together. If you’re feeling a little festive there are products with all the colours of the rainbow in their stripes too.

This long digital tapestry from the Left Collective store would look amazing in any bedroom or I could even see it in a dining room. I like the uneven stripes in simple black and white.

These days there are many different interpretations of stripes, they don’t just have to be the same old traditional pattern we first think of. The large striped journal from Landi Khun is filled with unique stripes, I love how they are all over the place.

How cute are these blue and white chambray shoes from Luna Moon for a little boy? Your little one will be walking in style all day long.

Why not have a little party with these pink and white striped straws from Teelee? I love the light pink and white together and they could be the starting point of a great themed party. I must say I’m getting a few ideas for my birthday coming up!